Molding apparatus



e, 1940 2 sheets-sheet'l M, M. CUNNINGHAM i HOLDING APPARATUS originati Filed Jan. 2

X n@ xy y m x y W W i Aug. 27, 1946.

Aug? 27 194,6 M. M. cuNNlNGHAM 2,406,589

` MoLDING APPARATUS origiF'; Filed Jan. ze, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 2 I 'gli W i j/ I W70/"[027 arqa ('zmm'fg 71am.

Patented Aug. 27, 1946 2,406,589 y MoLnlNG APPARATUS Marion Morgan Cunningham, South Bend, Ind., assignor to Mishawaka Rubber and Woolen Manufacturing Company, Mishawaka, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Original application January 29, 1940, Serial No. 316,115. Divided and this application June 28, 1944, Serial No. 542,538

3 Claims. 1

My invention relates to the molding ofv spongy rubber cushions or the like wherein numerous cored openings are provided which extend through or substantially through the cushion and has reference more particularly to the molding of such articles with opposed separable core sections so that the parting placeV of the cores is within the molded article. This application is a division of my application Serial No. 316,115, filed January 29, 1940, nowvPatent No. 2,358,962.

In making certain articles, for example mattresses, of latex foam or similar material it isdesirable to mold the article with numerous cored openings extending through or substantially through the article from topto bottom, this having been accomplished heretofore by providing the mold with cores which extend through themold cavity from one wall thereof to the opposed wall of the cavity, the cores usually being attached to one of these walls and of a suitable length to extend close -to or abut against the opposed wall when the mold is closed.

This previous practice, however, has a number of disadvantages, for example, in fairly thick cushions or mattresses the length of cores required presents considerable difficulty and sometimes causes mutilation `of the article in stripping the long cores therefrom. Also with the cores attached at one end and extending Ithrough the cavity the communication of vulcanizing heat to the interior of the molded mass is principally from the attached ends of the cores with the result that vulcanizationis not as uniform or rapid as desired. Moreover. the side of the mold carrying the coresis excessively heavy and cumbersome to handle and it is impossible to make both sides of the cushion alike with clean cut openings therein, as preferred in many cases, since a thin nlm or unsightly ragged edges are usually formed between the outer ends of the cores and the opposed mold wall toward or against which the cores project.

The principal objects of my linvention are toy provide improved molding equipment by which the above mentioned disadvantages of present p practiceare overcome; to permit reinforcement tresses and improve theproduct, these and other objects being accomplished as pointed out hereinafter and asshown in the accompanying drawings in which:

latter has corresponding cores Fig. 1 is a plan view of a mold constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the mold shown in Fig. 1;

Fig.V 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 taken through a filled mold which has a modified form of cover support;

Fig. 5 is `a fragmentary sectional View of an article formed within the mold shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail View of a modified c ore structure; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View showing a modified core arrangement.

Referring to the drawings in which I have, for the purpose of illustration, shown a preferred embodiment of the invention with several modii'ications thereof, the reference numeral I0 indicates the mold as a whole which consists of a cavitied member composed of a bottom wall II with a surrounding side wall 'I 2 forming a, cavity I3 which is closed by a removable cover I4 which for convenience in handling is preferably provided with a handle I5.

The bottom wall II has a large number of cores I6 arranged at spaced intervals throughout the area thereof and extending upwardly therefrom substantially half way to the cover I4 and the II extending downwardly therefrom so that the cores, instead of being of a length to extend from top to bottom of the mold cavity as heretofore are of half length with their parting substantially at the middle of the mold cavity I3 or midway between the bottom wall II and the top wall or cover. I4. Y

The cores I6 and iI'I may be attached to their respective walls II` and I4 in any convenient manner, as for example by forming the cores at their outer ends with reduced shanks I8 which engage through apertures I9 in the walls II and I4 and are held in place by retaining members 20 plassed through transverse openings 2l in the reduced shanks I8 and engaging against the outer face of respective wall -II or I4. Each half core I6 and Il may have an individual retaining member 2i! or these retaining members 20 may be of suitable length to extend, for eX- ample, across the bottom or top of the mold and laced through the transverse openings of a row of cores lr6 or I1. Since the Shanks of the lower half cores I6 project through the bottom wall II it is preferable to provide supports such as cleats 22 under the ends of the bottom wall to hold the latter at a suitable elevation to provide clearance for the projecting ends of these shanks.

In molding cushions or mattresses of foam rubber or the like it is desirable to employ a sufficient quantity of the foam rubber composition to insure complete illing of the mold cavity and as it is impractical to measure the quantity with absolute precision there is usually a slight excess. On this account and also to accommodate any increase of volume due to expansion upon initial application of heat, it is preferred to use a cover i4 which telescopes within the upper end ofv the mold cavity, as shown, with sufficient clearance between the margin of the cover and the side walls I2 of the mold to leave a narrow extrusion space 23 through which the surplus foam rubber composition may extrude when the cover is in place, and it is also preferred to bevel the marginal edges of the cover as indicated at 24 to provide a narrow tear line along which the extruded composition, after vulcanization, can readily be cut or torn from the molded cushion.

Moreover, it is important, for complete filling of the mold to avoid pocketing of air or gas in the mold and this extrusion space 23 contributes to this end. In addition to this extrusion space it is desirable to have other air or gas escapement outlets throughout the area of the cover I4 and this is accomplished in the illustrated structure by constructing the core outer ends and shanks I8 so that they tsuciently loosely against the cover i4 and within the openings I3 thereof to permit air escapement at the outer ends of the cores Il, the spacing being such, however, that while air and gas is permitted to escape at the' outer ends of the cores Il, it is inSuCienI t permit escapement of the foam rubber composition at these places. Thus the Same mounting of the cores may be employed for the bottom wall IIV of the mold and the cores I6 and Il accordingly may be interchangeable.

The cover I4 maybe supported at the proper elevation in the mold cavity in any desired manner, for example, by merely permitting the lower ends of the cores I'I to abut against the upper ends of the cores IS. However, it has been found that, since the foam rubber composition is necessarily poured in the mold before the cover is placed in position, foam rubber becomes trapped and crushed between the ends of the half cores and wforms on the finished product a dense lm which is undesirable as it interferes with air circulation between the cored out openings at oppositev sides thereof.

Therefore it is preferred to avoid or minimize contact between the core ends and to this end a few of tne cores IV or I'I or both may be made sufficiently long, for example the four corner sets of cores and the center core, which are marked for identication by the letter X, so that they abut'as shown at 25, in Fig. 3, whereas all the other cores I@ and I1 are of a shorter length so that their inner ends are held in spaced relation, as indicated at 26 in Fig. 3 by the five sets of abutting cores marked X.

Moreover the edges of the inner ends of the cores I6 and Il are preferably rounded as indicated at 21 as it has been found that this affords easier escapement of the foam rubber Vcomposition from between the core ends when the cover is placed in position and prevents collapse of the rubber foam between the core ends, it being Vdesirable to avoid such collapse in order that the nlm between the core ends in the finished article will be of the same texture and porosity as in the remainder of the cushion and permit free air circulation therethrough.

Instead of employing longer cores at the few selected locations X for holding the ends of the other cores I6 and-I1 in spaced relation, the selected cores X may be of the same length as the other cores and one of the cores of each selected pair may have at its inner end a small reduced extension or short pin like projection like thatshown at 28 on the core I6 of Fig. 6 to engage the end face of the opposed core I1 for holding the vother cores I6 and I'I in the desired spaced relation.

Also the core abutting arrangement for locat- ,ing the cover I4 at the proper elevation may be entirely dispensed with and the cover I4 may have at suitable intervals therearound outwardly extending straps 29 to rest on the upper edge of the mold side walls I2 as shown in Fig. 4 so as to hold the cover I4 at the proper elevation with theV lower ends of all the cores II spaced as at 26 from all of the lower cores I6.

Moreover, instead of employing the Shanks I8 and .retaining members for securing the cores It' and Il totheir respective walls II and I4, the cores may have a split extension such as shown at 3l) in Fig. 6 which has a sort of snap fastener engagementY in the opening 3| of the respective wall II or I4, preferably with an annular bead 32 at the outer end which engages an annular seat 33 around the outer end of the opening 3| to insure retention of the extension in the opening. In this construction, as in that previously described, provision is made to permit air escapement without permitting foam rubber composition to escape through the opening 3l.

In using the above described mold, the cover I4 having been removed, a quantity of foam rubber composition suflicient to insure complete filling ofthe mold space when the cover and its cores are placed in position, is poured in the mold cavity I3 and this, of course, fills the mold to a level above theupper ends of the lower cores I6 but below the place where the cover is to be located.

The cover I4 with its depending cores I'I is then placed in position within the upper end of th'e mold cavity I3 and asthe cores I'I engage in and displace therubber composition, the level of the composition is raised until it completely fills the mold and contacts the underside of the cover I4 throughout the area thereof and without any entrapmentf of air since it is free to escape between the Shanks I8 and cover openingsv I3 and throughV the space 23 around the margin of the cover.

The cover I4, of course, is held at the proper elevation by the'endwise engagement of the few selected' cores I Ii and I'I identified by the letter X or the projections 28 thereof (see Fig. 6) or by the straps 23 of Fig. 4 so that the ends of most or all the other cores I6 and Il are spaced apart, and as the cover is placed in position and the lower ends of the cores I'I submerged in the foam rubber composition the curved edges Y2'I of the separated cores I5 and I1 permit easy outflow of the Ycomposition from therebetween and the spacing 28 prevents compression of the compound therebetween and collapse of the foam and accordingly leaves between the ends of the separated cores I6 and I1 a thin layer of compound of the same foamy consistency as that throughout the rest of the mold cavity.

A After the mold is prepared with the latex foam compound as aforesaid, the` compound is permit-v ted to set or jel after which the mold is placed in a vulcanizer and subjected to heat at proper 5. temperatures for suiiicient lengthv of time to vulcanize the compound and in this vulcanizing operation heat is communicated from the outer ends of both sets of cores I6 and I1 into the interior of the molded mass, thereby affording more rapid and uniform internal application of heat than with long cores extending through the mass onlyV from one side. After vulcanization, the cover I4 is removed, thereby stripping the upper cores from the vulcanized compound, after which the molded and vulcanized cushion is removed from the mold and at the same time stripped from the lower cores I6, and the extruded rubber around the margin of the cover I4 is, of course, removed, which is preferably done before or by the operation of lifting the cover from the mold, and the resultant cushion is of mold shape with adjoining openings IiiEL throughout the area thereof at one side and similar openings I'Ia throughout the area of the other side opposed to and separated at the center of the cushion from the openings Ita by a thin webbing 2lia of the vulcanized foam rubber as shown in Fig. 5. It will be noted that the openings Iiia and I'!8L are of tubular form, although not necessarily cylindrical as will be readily appreciated, the openings comprising cavities surrounded by an unbroken wall to the end that the cushion itself is a coherent unitary mass punctured by the numerous cavities which, however, due to their non-communicating arrangement, do not seriously impair the relative firmness of the cushion as a whole or create any substantial tendency toward collapse or side sway in the body of the material.

Thus it will be understood that the stripping of the cores from the molded article is greatly facilitated as the cores are only of half the length heretofore employed and danger of mutilating or tearing the molded article is thus greatly minimized. Also the mold may be handled much more easily than previous molds inasmuch as the weight of the cores is distributed between the cover and cavitied section of the mold instead of being carried entirely by one or the other as heretofore.

Furthermore the molded cushion is exactly alike at both sides with clean cut openings extending therein without exposed objectionable membranes or unsightly ragged edges at the ends of the openings at one side of the cushion, and furthermore, by molding the cushion with opposed half section cores any desired thickness of webbing may be provided between the core ends at the center of the cushion where it is appropriate and useful for reinforcing.

The cores may, if desired, be slightly tapered as indicated by dotted lines at 31 to facilitate stripping and moreover cores of different diameter may be employed respectively at the top and bottom, as for example as shown in Fig. 4 in which the upper cores I'lb are of less diameter and more numerous than the lower cores I6,'so that one side of the cushion or mattress has different cushion-V ing properties than the other side. Moreover cores of different lengths may be employed, that is the upper cores, for example, may be shorter than the lower cores or each set of cores, namely the upper set and the lower set, may include cores of different lengths, for example as shown somewhat diagrammatically in Fig. '7 wherein both the cover I4 and mold bottom wall II have short cores 34 between long cores 35 and arranged so that the long cores 35 of both sets are opposite the short cores 34 of the other set, thereby formingreinforcing websV at several different elevations iri the cushion body.

In addition to its above mentioned advantages ing material which may be arranged centrally, for

example, between the top and bottom of the cushion. To accomplish this it is merely necessary to place a sheet of reinforcing material on the upper ends of the lower cores I6, for example Yas indicated at 36 in Fig. 4, so that in the filled mold it will be held by the upper and lower core ends in the central position.

The reinforcing 36 may be of any suitable material, preferably a coarse open mesh fabric and the mold may be filled up to the level of the upper ends of the cores I6 and have the reinforcing 36 then placed in position after which the mold is further filled, or if the fabric is of a sufficiently open mesh it may be placed in position and the entire charge of composition thereafter poured into the mold, or it may be placed on top of the composition in the filled mold and pushed down through the composition to the central position by the upper cores l1 when the cover I4 is placed in position and this fabric, in the subsequent vulcanization of the composition is firmly combined therewith and becomes substantially a permanent unitary part of the cushion.

Moreover, this divided core molding arrangement may be conveniently employed for incorporating an electrical heater in the cushion by forming the resistance so that it can be applied in somewhat the same manner as the reinforcing 36 between the opposed ends of the separated cores so that it constitutes a unitary part of the cushion.

Wherever in the specification the term cored openings is used the same is intended to mean openings or cavities provided in a molded body by coring elements around which the material is shaped in the molding process.

While I have shown and described my invention in a preferred form, I am aware that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the principles of my invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A mold of the class described comprising a bottom wall with surrounding upwardly extending side walls forming a mold cavity, and a plurality of cores extending yupwardly from said bottom wall part Way to the top of said cavity, a removable cover for closing said mold cavity and having a plurality of depending cores which extend part way to the bottom of said mold cavity, and means supporting the cover in cavity closing position in a predetermined separated relation from the said side walls for escapement of excess contents from the mold cavity.

2. A mold of the class described comprising a bottom wall with surrounding upwardly extending side walls forming a mold cavity, and a plurality of cores extending upwardly from said bottom wall part way to the top of said cavity, a removable cover insertible in the upper end of said mold cavity and having a plurality of depending cores which extend part way to the bottom of said mold cavity, and means supporting the inserted cover in cavity closing position spaced from the aforesaid side walls for escapement of excess contents from the mold cavity.

3. A mold of the class described comprising a bottom Wall with surrounding upwardly eXtendingY side walls .forming a mold cavity, and a plurality of cores extending upwardly from 'said bottom Wall part Way to the top of said cavity, a removable cover insertible in the upper end of 8 said mold cavityV and having a plurality of depending cores which extend part Way to the bottom of said mold cavity, said cover, in the cavity closing position, having a thin edge marginaliy spaced from the inner face of the surrounding side Walls to provide escapement of excess material from the closed mold cavity.

MARION MORGAN CUNNINGHAM. 

